Looking ahead: Astros draft possibilities and the new Top 20 list

The Astros are only a few games away from clinching first place. Or more appropriately, the first pick in next June’s draft.

Since Stanford pitcher Mark Appel was the leading candidate for #1 in this year’s draft, he is obviously the front runner in the minds of many fans heading into 2013. But will he be? Should he be?

Probably no and no. There are plenty of mile markers on the way to next June, but one thing is clear: With two weak draft classes, the Astros couldn’t have picked a worse time to bottom out. No Stephen Strasburgs. No Bryce Harpers. No David Prices. Still, Houston will have a shot to get the best of the class. At this early juncture, most of the upper echelon projections are college pitchers.

So here’s an early look at the contenders for the first pick in next year’s draft.

Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford.

Appel — or maybe agent Scott Boras — scared off seven teams until the Pirates ultimately took a chance they could sign one of the better pitchers in the draft. The guessed wrong and Appel decided to go back for his senior year. Barring any injury, he’ll still be one of the expected top picks in the draft, but it’s quite possible the Astros will skip him again. Interestingly, since he’ll be a college senior, he’ll have less leverage, though the Astros will actually have a longer window in which to sign him.

Ryne Stanek, RHP, Arkansas.

The 6-4 junior throws in the mid-90s and will be the top pitcher in a crop of Southeast Conference possibilities. You can watch him throw a little here, but you’ll undoubtedly hear more about him during the spring as the Razorbacks challenge for the SEC title again. Baseball America ranked Stanek as the third best sophomore prospect last year and barely missed being eligible for last June’s draft.

Sean Manaea, LHP, Indiana State.

Yep, Larry Bird’s alma mater. Baseball America has Manaea as the third best prospect in the draft, but he could be one to watch. He swept the Cape Cod league awards after finishing with a 5-1 mark, 1.22 ERA and 85 Ks in 51 IP. He was dominant throughout the summer and should be on the Astros’ radar in 2013.

Austin Wilson, OF, Stanford.

Another Stanford player may be one of the top position players in the draft. In 2010, the 6-5, 245-pound right fielder was taken in the 12th round by the Cardinals. Former major leaguer Reggie Smith calls Wilson a six-tool player, pointing to his intelligence as the additional skill set.

Kris Bryant, 3B, San Diego.

If the Astros are looking for a premier hitter to play third base, Bryant could get a long look, especially if he has a strong spring. He hit .366 in 2012 with a .483 OBP, 14 HRs and 56 RBI. At 6-5, 215, his strong arm and build would be a great addition to a position the Astros have been seeking to fill competively since Ken Caminit left (with apologies to Morgan Ensberg’s one season).

Of course, there are other players like Karsten Whitson (Florida), Bobby Wahl (Ole Miss), Colin Moran (North Carolina) and a slew of high school players and, while the names will slide up and down the list between now and next June, all eyes will once again by on Jeff Luhnow and his new draft team.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Mayo has updated the Top 20 Astros’ prospects and the list now includes players drafted this summer as well as those recently acquired through trades.

Jonathan Singleton continues as the top prospect, but recent #1 draft pick Carlos Correa debuts on the list as the second-best prospect in the Astros’ system. Lance McCullers (6) and Nolan Fontana (14) also made the list and Delino Deshields Jr. jumped to #5 after his 101 stolen base season.

One other note: Houston now has five players in the Top 100. Singleton (27) leads the way, followed by Correa (38), George Springer (55), Jarred Cosart (84) and Deshields (85). Singleton is ranked as the #1 first base prospect overall.